The Pecan Park Eagle

“Congratulations, Jose Altuve! I knew you could do it!”
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~ Mighty Mouse

ASTRO*NOTES

Carlos Correa on End-of-Season Tear. Carlos Correa went 8 for 9 in the Astros’ just concluded back-to-back 12-2 laughers over the Rangers and Red Sox – and those two wins were merely the back door on a club record of now 4 straight double digit wins. The first three extra-largers were all over the “point-that-silver-boot-where-it-hurts-the-most-and-put-us-out-of-our-misery” Texas Rangers. Then the virus simply caught the plane for Boston with the Astros and poured itself all over the beantowners in the two clubs’ first foray into Fenway.

Had he not missed so much time with the hand injury and surgery, Correa would now be the #4 hitter on the AL official list of top batting average hitters. He’s going to fall short of qualifying. Even if he gains 12 more plate appearances in the club’s last 3 games in Boston, Correa will still only have 485 plate appearances on the year. Divide that projected figure by the 162-game season number and it only comes to 2.99, far short of the 3.1 average number of plate appearances per game that are needed to qualify for an official ranking. Regardless of that fact, the young man is rolling to a great finish in the close keystone company of his amazing up-the-middle infield partner, the one and only Jose Altuve.

Is there a “chance” in deep baseball history that Manager John McGraw of the 1908 New York Giants might have relished having the services of Correa-to-Altuve-to-Gurriel as his best answer to Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance of the Chicago Cubs?

Is 200 hits per season enough? Apparently not. After getting his 200th hit of the 2017 season in the daytime finale on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas, Jose Altuve celebrated Thursday night in Boston by ticking off 3 more hits in his first 3 trips to the plate against Boston. The 3 for 4 night puts Altuve back at .350 with 203 hits in the bag for the 4th straight 200-hit season, a for-sure title to his 3rd batting championship in 4 years, and a most probable lock on the AL MVP honors for the season over Aaron Judge of the Yankees – that is, unless this “NY Bias” really does exceed all embarrassing boundaries on evaluative error.

So, what does Astros Manager AJ Hinch do? Does he turn the little Venezuelan version of an extremely talented “energizer bunny” loose to simply build on his stats in the last three games in Boston, maybe rationalize it being about catching Cleveland for the AL home field advantage in the Playoffs? Or does he rest and protect the one irreplaceable regular position player asset the Astros possess by benching Altuve from the last three games in Boston? Sounds like a no-brainer to me, but what do I know?

unidentified
baseball god

 Proud as a Peacock. Brad Peacock did more than enough to secure his place as the #3 man in the Playoff Series rotation last night, even if he has looked sharper at other times. The guy is now going to finish the year at 13-2 with a 3.00 ERA. How many years have the Astros only dreamed of having a guy like Peacock at this critical time of the year. The thing I like most about Brad is his emotional makeup. He’s laid back and humble – and he never seems to force things on a night in which certain pitches aren’t working as well. – He just goes to some kind of Plan B – and goes with some other pitch – or sequence of deliveries.

Weekend Strategy. Rest the weary. Keep your metal on the pedal, but spread the opportunity for offensive joy. Don’t do anything stupid. Try not to get anybody hurt. And don’t forget your “no tricks please” prayers to the baseball gods.

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HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE RACES, GB IN EACH

THRU GAMES PLAYED THURSDAY, 9/28/2017

 L = LEADER BY LEAGUE AND WS OVERALL.

Overall Leader gets home field advantage (HFA) in World Series.

GAMES TO PLAY: DODGERS 3, INDIANS 3, ASTROS 3, NATIONALS 3

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HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE SERIOUS CONTENDER SCORES

THRU GAMES PLAYED THURSDAY, 9/28/2017

ASTROS 12 – RED SOX 2

INDIANS 4 – TWINS 2

NATIONALS 5 – PIRATES 4

DODGERS (day off for Beach Boys Oldies Fan Concert in Malibu)

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AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTING AVERAGE LEADERS

THRU GAMES PLAYED THURSDAY, 9/28/2017

NR * LOST TIME ON THE DL HAS REMOVED CORREA FROM AN OFFICIAL QUALIFYING PLACE IN THE RANKING OF TOP 40 HITTERS.

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Tags: Astros Motor is Revving Up at Right Time, Astros Win 4th Straight Double Digit Run Game

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